Kilfinane, Co. Limerick, Ireland

HearSay

Pitch an idea for HearSay19

HearSay19 Essentials

HearSay19 - The 4th HearSay International Audio Festival takes place in the mountain village of Kilfinane, Co. Limerick, Ireland from 4pm Thursday 4th April to 2pm Sunday 4th April 2019. There will also be a small number of special events for those who come early to Kilfinane in the week running up to the Festival.

At HearSay19 an expected 80 events/sessions will take place over 4 days from Thursday April 4th- Sunday April 7th 2019. These will range from deep insights into the craft of creative audio to experiences with sound at their core. They will take place in 17 different venues around our village from Living Rooms to old churches, gardens to community spaces. HearSay offers possibilities for playful experiment, intriguing collaborations, and fresh conversations.

The first two HearSay Festivals were programmed based on the ideas of the organizing team who drew inspirations from a rich range of people and sources. For the second HearSay Festival, there was a surge in suggestions on an ad-hoc basis from people who had been to HearSay before and who understood the creative possibilities. From those approaches came everything from the Story Store in the derelict Hardware Store, Soundscape Yoga, The Lighthouse with a Michelin starred chef, the Secret Installation, The Blind Experiment, and thought provoking sessions on The Radio as Time Machine, Boundaries between fact and fiction, Out of Sync, and The Sound of Terror.

The HearSay family has grown since our humble beginnings. In 2017, we experimented with an open call process for the first time. The response brought wonderful ideas and possibilities forward, the organising team would never have thought of The Radio Cinema, Audio Potluck, Invasive Specials, Scapes

For HearSay19, we want to again offer EVERYONE WHO HAS PREVIOUSLY ATTENDED a HearSay Festival the chance to pitch a event, session or experience. We await your idea with antici....pation!

[Please note that we are NOT looking for music performances - except where it is music IN COLLABORATION with the other creative audio elements (documentary, fiction, theatre, arts etc)]

Does it have to be new?

Yes (ish) HearSay is about possibilities - about experimentation, about having the time and space to try something you've always wanted to try but didn't have the resources, the space, or the support.

If its something that you've said or done a million times before, it would be a waste of the opportunity HearSay offers.

It might be an idea you really wish to explore properly, a provocation you want to give, a group of people you've wanted to get feedback or inspiration from.

Equally it might be something based on something you've already begun exploring, sounds you've gathered, a project that is still evolving, or HearSay might provide an opportunity to do something you've done before but in a completely different context, engaging with people who would be very unfamiliar with your discipline.

Just remember that HearSay is a place of community, of shared ideas and mutual support.

Who do I have to be?

To pitch an idea for HearSay19 via this form, you must have attended a previously HearSay Festival as contributor or participant or volunteer.

You don't have to have a big name! One of the joys of HearSay is that we support emerging ideas and talent who are doing something exciting. However, you do need to be able to carry off what you are pitching.

Of course, you can have a big name! Another joy of HearSay is makers at the very top of their game being able try something fresh away from the performer-audience model. Instead you have the chance to be part of a community, and be inspired by what you are exploring and what you are experiencing.

What do I need to do?

In the pitch an idea form, we ask you give us your contact details, a brief biography of those involved, a 200 word outline of the idea, and guidance on technical and venue.

We will also be asking all contributors whose ideas are greenlighted, to help out with an additional minimal preparation event (Open House, Chocolate Box Layer, Audio ReachOut) which are very enjoyable from previous years feedback so we ask you to nominate which you would like to do if sucessful.

What does HearSay19 offer?

We really appreciate you being willing to make HearSay19 magical. For contributors whose proposal is greenlighted, we offer

A comfortable bed immersed in a community of fellow contributors for the duration of the Festival.

Creative Residencies - On request, we can provide accommodation for up to one week in Ireland from Monday 1st April to Monday 8th April 2019 to make, prepare, mingle, explore - your choice.

We also have a very small number of multi-week residencies where a contributor needs time locally to create something for the Festival.

Travel Support - We will contribute towards flight tickets if required

Some contributors in previous years have been able to secure travel support from their employers.

We have had other contributors who have secured commissions to come to Ireland, others who have funding support available from another source - If that's possible great and let us know if need any letters or documentation, if not no worries

Materials - We have a (limited) budget to assist with materials as required.

Equipment We will provide all technical equipment and crew needed to realise your idea. If you need surround sound, radio mics,

Practical Support to realise your vision - We want HearSay to be a place of possibilities. We've dealt with everything from a request for a piano, a confessional, a bathtub, 20 mattresses, design assistance for a box, soil, actors, location guidance, water-proofed surround sound, local people to interview, singers, harpist, a hair salon, blindfolds.

We've matched possible collaborators together. If you've a clear idea about how to make it work, we're here to support you with whatever you need to make it work.

Invitation and Multi-day Festival Pass - Finally, HearSay19 is an independent and not-for-profit Festival - We ask all attendees to make a contribution in accordance with their means.

As a contributor, you will be issued with an invitation to the Festival and a Multi-day Festival Pass where outside of your own event(s), you get to experience and join in everything

You can make any donation you feel you wish to with no expectations. We really value your time, and commitment to making HearSay a slice of Audio Heaven.

Any Questions?

If you have any queries about HearSay19 or the questions below, please don't hesitate get in touch with the Festival Director Diarmuid McIntyre via diarmuid@hearsayfestival.ie

Key Dates

Contributor pitches for HearSay19 are NOW OPEN for previous attendees CLICK HERE (Closes Nov 27th)